HONG KONG - Asian markets rose on Friday after strong earnings from two tech titans provided hope for a bounce on Wall Street, while traders were also steeling themselves for key US inflation data.
The gains come at the end of a rollercoaster week for equities, but the Middle East crisis continued to cast a shadow.
And while figures showed the US economy enjoyed its best growth since late 2021 during the third quarter, observers said there was a belief it had peaked and the new year would see a slowdown.
However, questions remain over how long the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates at elevated levels.
All three main indexes sank Thursday, with the Nasdaq again the worst performer owing to tech firms' susceptibility to higher borrowing costs.
But blockbuster earnings from Amazon and Intel after the markets closed -- and a surge in after-hours trade -- provided Asian traders with hope for a bounce in New York at the end of the week.
In early trade, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, Jakarta and Taipei were all well up.